Method for putting together of a drilling device and drilling device

ABSTRACT

A method for assembling a drilling device. A first drilling member is power transittingly, coupled with a second drilling member during drilling for rotational, feeding and/or hammering motion, and removably coupled to remove the first drilling member from a hole. A casing is pulled into the hole by power from the second drilling member transmitted through a shoulder between the casing and second drilling member. The shoulder enables independent rotation of the casing and second drilling member and restricts mutual longitudinal movement thereof. A casing shoe is fastened at an end of the casing and includes an internal or external counterpart shoulder in the radial direction of the shoulder. A separate sleeve minimizes radial expansion of an outermost structural part in the drilling device and/or kinetic energy transmitted by counterpart shoulders. Also, a drilling device.

The invention relates to a method in putting together of a drilling device and a drilling device according to the preambles of the independent claims.

A way to carry out earth drilling in a developed manner with respect to traditional technique is known e.g. from Finnish Patent No. 95618. A drilling head in a drilling unit of the drilling apparatus that exists inside a casing part or in other words a so called earth pipe or casing pipe presented in this patent is formed according to the appended FIG. 1 presenting prior art of a first frame part and an annular second frame part, the drilling surfaces of which being provided with drilling organs, such as drill bits or like, of the first and second drilling means or in other words of a center drill or a pilot and a reaming drill. In this solution the first frame part forming the first drilling means, is being released from the second frame part forming the reamer, in order to pull the same alone off from a drilled hole after the drilling situation.

The solution in question is provided with an arrangement, which locks the said drilling means together for a drilling situation unrotatively in respect with each other and in both directions longitudinally, in which as an advantageous embodiment a bayonet coupling has been used.

After many years of experience, the drilling device according to the above mentioned patent has proved very efficient in practise and also very easy to be adjusted for different kinds of drilling purposes. E.g. regarding a drilling device of this type, there has, however, been found possibilities for making its functioning more efficient particularly for the part of the shoulder arrangement that pulls the casing part to the drilled hole. With reference to the appended series of FIGS. 2a-2c showing the functioning of a drilling device according to prior art, in this context there has been found particularly such a problem that the power influence pulling the casing part into the hole by the shoulder arrangement wears the counterpart shoulders during drilling so that contact surfaces between the same become oblique, which finally leads to losing of the longitudinal locking between the parts, and the parts may get separated. Due to the oblique contact surfaces of the counterpart shoulders, diverging of the parts gets furthermore faster due to the power being transmitted from the oblique contact surfaces that tends to expand the outermost structure further thus making easier loosening of the longitudinal locking.

It is an aim of the method for putting together of a drilling device and the drilling device according to the present invention to achieve a decisive improvement particularly in the functioning of the type of drilling device described in the beginning and thus to raise essentially the level of prior art. In order to carry out this aim, the method and the drilling device according to the invention are mainly characterized by what has been presented in the characterizing parts of the independent claims related thereto.

As the most important advantages of the method and the drilling device according to the invention may be mentioned simplicity of constructions and operating principles enabled by the same first of all thanks to the fact that the functionality of the drilling device, being found profitable in practice as such, can be further improved by making possible the power transmission therefrom to the casing part continuing to last at optimal level as long as possible. Thanks to the invention, the power influence pulling the casing part into the hole to be drilled stays longitudinal by virtue of the sleeve arrangement, being installed according to the invention, which is situated as an advantageous embodiment between an internal or external counterpart shoulder in, connection with the casing shoe and an external or internal counterpart shoulder at the end of the drilling device, such as the reamer. When avoiding the oblique contact surface that gets formed between the counterpart shoulders, it is also possible to avoid radial expanding of the outermost structural part in the drilling device. Thanks to the invention, the functionings of the drilling device may thus be enhanced by eliminating/retarding wear of the shoulder arrangement in question, in addition to which, thanks to the invention, it is also possible to efficiently dampen e.g. shaking that is caused to the casing part by hammering motion by exploiting as the sleeve arrangement a flexion/damping ring that is made of an essentially flexible structured material.

Other advantageous embodiments of the method and the drilling device according to the invention have been presented in the dependent claims related thereto.

In the following description the invention is being illustrated in detail with reference to the appended drawings, in which

FIG. 1 is shown as a longitudinal cross-sectional view a drilling device according to prior art being used for down-the-hole drilling,

FIG. 2 is shown as a partial longitudinal cross-sectional view wearing of the shoulder'arrangement in the drilling device according to FIG. 1, that is caused during drilling that is performed by the drilling device,

FIG. 3 is shown as a longitudinal cross-sectional view a shoulder arrangement in connection with an advantageous drilling device carried out according to the invention, and

FIG. 4 is shown as a longitudinal cross-sectional view a shoulder arrangement in connection with an advantageous alternative drilling device with respect to the one showed in FIG. 3.

The invention relates first of all to a method for putting together of a drilling device, which drilling device is meant to be used in a down-the-hole apparatus, by means of which a hole is being drilled by using the drilling device 1 and a casing part 2. The drilling device 1 comprises in its drilling head I a drilling arrangement, such as first drilling means 4 for drilling a center hole and second drilling means 5 for reaming the center hole for the casing part 2, wherein the essentially rotationally symmetrical drilling means 4, 5 are coupled with each other on the first hand at least during a drilling situation in a power transmitting manner in order to carry out co-operation thereof for a rotational motion, a feeding motion and/or a hammering motion and on the other hand removably in order to enable removal of the first drilling means 4 from a drilled hole. The casing part 2 is arranged to be pulled into the hole to be drilled by a power influence directed thereto from the drilling device 1, such as the first and/or the second drilling means 4, 5, by means of a shoulder arrangement L between the casing part 2 and the drilling device 1, the shoulder arrangement L enabling an independent rotational movement of the casing part and the drilling device with respect to each other and restricting mutual longitudinal s movement thereof. A separate sleeve arrangement V is being used in longitudinal direction s between counterpart shoulders x, y, forming the said shoulder arrangement L and being directed when viewed in radial direction r in opposite directions, in order to minimize mutual wear of the said counterpart shoulders x, y and/or kinetic energy, such as hammering motion, being transmitted by the same.

Particularly in the embodiments according to FIGS. 1 and 4 longitudinal restriction effect of the shoulder arrangement L situated in the internal or external coupling recess 5 b of the second drilling means 5 that is at its end on the side of the casing part 2, which makes possible free rotation of the reamer, is based on that that in the coupling recess 5 b is arranged a movement clearance B particularly as marked in FIG. 3, a meaning of which is for its part to dampen vibration being directed to the casing part 2 particularly due to the hammering motion from the drilling device.

As an advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention, the drilling head I of the drilling device 1 is formed of a first frame part 4 a and a second frame part 5 a, wherein drilling surfaces P; P1, ,P2 formed of end surfaces of the frame parts are provided with drilling organs of the first and the second drilling means 4, 5, such as an integrated drilling part, separate drilling pieces, bits or like. In order to couple the drilling device 1 with the casing part 2, a separate casing shoe 8 is being utilized that is to be fastened at an end of the casing part 2 and being provided with when viewed in the radial direction r internal or external counterpart shoulder x/y of the said shoulder arrangement L. The said sleeve arrangement L is being placed when viewed in the longitudinal direction s between an internal or external counterpart shoulder x/y in connection with the casing shoe 8 and an external or internal counterpart shoulder y/x at an end of the drilling device 1, such as the second frame part 5 a.

As an advantageous embodiment, the sleeve arrangement shown in FIG. 3 has been applied in connection with the type of drilling device e.g. shown in FIG. 1, in which the casing shoe 8 is being fastened with traditional arrangements at the end of the casing part 2 fixedly e.g. by a welled coupling. In this case the casing shoe 8 acts as a so called external structural part in co-operation with an internal counterpart that is arranged in the reamer 5, the internal counterpart shoulder x existing in this case at the outer edge of the casing shoe 8 and correspondingly the external counterpart shoulder y being situated at the inner end of the reamer 5.

The implementation according to FIG. 4, the drilling device 1, is provided with a built-in skirt part z at the opposite end of the drilling arrangement that is the second drilling means 5 or the second frame part 5 a with respect to the drilling surface P, whereby at the end of the skirt part there is in the radial direction r an internal counterpart shoulder x to pull the casing part 2 into the hole to be drilled by co-operation by the internal counterpart shoulder in question and the external counterpart shoulder y, being arranged at the end of the casing part 2. In this type of implementation, the joint between the reamer 5 and the casing shoe 8 is produced in practise most advantageously by shrinking the reamer's skirt part.

As a further advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention, a wear/slide ring a is being used as the sleeve arrangement V having an essentially rigid structure, such as being made of metal, plastic, ceramic, composite material and/or the like material, particularly in order to minimize wear of the counterpart shoulders x, y of the shoulder arrangement L. As the manufacturing materials of the ring in question is practise may be mentioned as examples particularly carbon fiber and wearing metal.

Furthermore as an advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention, a flexion/damping ring b is being used as the sleeve arrangement V having an essentially flexible structure, such as being made of rubber, plastic, composite material and/or the like, particularly in order to minimize kinetic energy, such as hammering motion, transmitted by the counterpart shoulders x, y. As manufacturing materials of the ring in question in practise may be mentioned particularly rubber and silicone.

The invention also relates to a drilling device, which is meant to be used in a down-the-hole apparatus for drilling a hole by using the drilling device 1 and a casing part. The drilling device 1 comprises in its drilling head I a drilling arrangement, such as first drilling means 4 for drilling a center hole and second drilling means 5 for reaming the center hole for the casing part 2, wherein the essentially rotationally symmetrical drilling means 4, 5 are coupled with each other on the first hand at least during a drilling situation in a power transmitting manner in order to carry out co-operation thereof for a rotational motion, a feeding motion and/or a hammering motion and on the other hand removably in order to enable removal of the first drilling means 4 from a drilled hole. The casing part 2 is arranged to be pulled into the hole to be drilled by a power influence directed thereto from the drilling device 1, such as the first and/or the second drilling means 4, 5, by means of a shoulder arrangement L between the casing part 2 and the drilling device 1, the shoulder arrangement L enabling an independent rotational movement of the casing part and the drilling device with respect to each other and restricting mutual longitudinal s movement thereof. A separate sleeve arrangement V is arranged in longitudinal direction s between counterpart shoulders x, y, forming the said shoulder arrangement L and being directed when viewed in radial direction r in opposite directions, in order to minimize mutual wear of the said counterpart shoulders x, y and/or kinetic energy, such as hammering motion, being transmitted by the same.

As an advantageous embodiment of the drilling device according to the invention, the drilling head I of the drilling device 1 consists of: a first frame part 4 a and a second frame part 5 a, wherein drilling surfaces P; P1, P2 formed of end surfaces of the frame parts are provided with drilling organs of the first and the second drilling means 4, 5, such as an integrated drilling part, separate drilling pieces, bits or like, and; a separate casing shoe 8 to be fastened at an end of the casing part 2 and being provided with when viewed in the radial direction r internal or external counter-part shoulder x/y of the said shoulder arrangement L and by means of which the drilling device 1 is couplable with the casing part 2. The said sleeve arrangement L is arranged when viewed in the longitudinal direction s between an internal or external counterpart shoulder x/y in connection with the casing shoe 8 and an external or internal counterpart surface y/x at an end of the drilling device 1, such as the second frame part 5 a.

As a further advantageous embodiment with reference to FIG. 3, the sleeve arrangement V comprises a wear/slide ring a that is made of an essentially rigid structured, such as metal, plastic, ceramic, composite material and/or the like material particularly in order to minimize wear of the counterpart shoulders x, y of the shoulder arrangement L.

Furthermore as an advantageous embodiment according to FIG. 4, the sleeve arrangement V comprises a flexion/damping ring b that is made of an essentially flexible structured, such as rubber, plastic, composite material and/or the like material particularly in order to minimize kinetic energy, such as hammering motion, transmitted through the counterpart shoulders x, y.

It is clear that the invention is not limited to the embodiments shown or described above, but instead it can be modified within limits of the basic idea of the invention according to the needs at any given time. It is thus clear, that the constructions of the drilling devices being illustrated in the appended drawings may vary in practice very much merely when being carried out with differing diameters. Furthermore, the wear/slide ring and flexion/damping ring exploited together e.g. in FIG. 4 can be carried out as totally separate structures with respect to each other, in addition to which they can be placed in a differing manner than shown in FIG. 4 e.g. so that there is one or several flexion/damping rings in the longitudinal direction between the outermost wear/slide rings. It is naturally possible to implement the type of implementation described above as a uniform entirety being put together with a suitable manufacturing technique, in which the said wear/slide ring and flexion/damping ring functionings are as longitudinally successive zones or in a corresponding manner. On the other hand, instead of the type of embodiments shown e.g. in FIGS. 1 and 4, it is naturally possible to use as the drilling device also other drilling devices that are applicable for the same purpose, in which a casing part is being exploited in connection with the drilling that is being drawn into the ground unrotatively without or with a casing shoe. It is not that significant for the method and the drilling device according to the invention, either, how the first and second drilling means are coupled to work, so that most heterogeneous solutions can be exploited as the power transmission assemblies between the same. 

1-8. (canceled)
 9. A method for assembling a drilling device for a down-the-hole apparatus, wherein a hole is drilled utilizing the drilling device and a casing part, wherein the drilling device comprises a drilling head comprising a drilling arrangement including a first drilling member configured to drill a center hole and a second drilling member configured to ream the center hole for the casing part, wherein the first drill member and the second drilling member are essentially rotationally symmetrical, the method comprising: coupling the first drilling member and the second drilling member at least during drilling in a power transmitting manner to carry out cooperation thereof for at least one of a rotational motion, a feeding motion or a hammering motion, and removably to enable removal of the first drilling member from a drilled hole; arranging the casing part to be pulled into the hole to be drilled by power directed thereto from the second drilling member through a shoulder arrangement between the casing part and the second drilling member, the shoulder arrangement enabling an independent rotational movement of the casing part and the second drilling member with respect to each other and restricting mutual longitudinal movement thereof; utilizing a separate casing shoe that is to be fastened at an end of the casing part and provided with an internal or external counterpart shoulder in the radial direction of the shoulder arrangement; and at least one of radial expansion of an outermost structural part in the drilling device or kinetic energy being transmitted by counterpart shoulders of the shoulder arrangement, is minimized utilizing a separate sleeve arrangement in longitudinal direction between the counterpart shoulders, in the radial direction in opposite directions at an inner end of the second drilling member and outer end of the casing shoe, of the shoulder arrangement between the casing shoe and the second drilling member.
 10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the kinetic energy comprises a hammering motion.
 11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising: forming the drilling head of the drilling device of a first frame part and a second frame part; providing drilling surfaces formed of end surfaces of the frame parts with drilling organs of the first drilling member and the second drilling member; and placing the sleeve arrangement in the longitudinal direction between an internal or external counterpart shoulder in connection with the casing shoe and an external or internal counterpart shoulder at an end of the second drilling member.
 12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the drilling surfaces are formed of at least one of an integrated drilling part, separate drilling pieces, bits.
 13. The method according to claim 11, wherein second drilling member comprises the second frame part.
 14. The method according to claim 9, further comprising: utilizing a wear/slide ring as the sleeve arrangement comprising an essentially rigid structure.
 15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the wear/slide ring comprises at least one of metal, plastic, ceramic, composite material.
 16. The method according to claim 14, wherein wear/slide ring minimizes wear of the counterpart shoulders of the shoulder arrangement.
 17. The method according to claim 9, further comprising: utilizing a flexion/damping ring as the sleeve arrangement having an essentially flexible structure.
 18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the flexion/damping ring comprises at least one of rubber, plastic, composite material.
 19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the flexion/damping ring minimizes kinetic energy transmitted by the counterpart shoulders.
 20. The method according to claim 17, wherein the flexion/damping ring minimizes hammering motion.
 21. A drilling device for a down-the-hole apparatus for drilling a hole utilizing the drilling device and a casing part, the drilling device comprising: a drilling head comprising a drilling arrangement including a first drilling member configured to drill a center hole and a second drilling member configured to ream the center hole for the casing part, wherein the first drilling member and the second drilling member are essentially rotationally symmetrical, wherein the first drilling member and the second drilling member are coupled with each other at least during drilling in a power transmitting manner to cooperate for at least one of a rotational motion, a feeding motion or a hammering motion, and wherein the first drilling member and the second drilling member are removably coupled with each other to enable removal of the first drilling member from a drilled hole; a shoulder arrangement configured to pull the casing part into the hole to be drilled by the second drilling member, wherein the shoulder arrangement is arranged between the casing part and the second drilling member, and wherein the shoulder arrangement permits an independent rotational movement of the casing part and the second drilling member with respect to each other and restrict mutual longitudinal movement thereof; a separate casing shoe to be fastened at an end of the casing part and comprising an internal or an external counterpart shoulder in radial direction of the shoulder arrangement; and a separate sleeve arrangement arranged in longitudinal direction between counterpart shoulders in the radial direction in opposite directions at inner end of the second drilling member and outer end of the casing shoe, of the shoulder arrangement between the casing shoe and the second drilling member to minimize radial expansion of the outermost structural part in the drilling device and/or to minimize kinetic energy transmitted by the counterpart shoulders.
 22. The drilling device according to claim 21, wherein the separate sleeve arrangement minimizes hammering motion.
 23. The drilling device according to claim 21, wherein the drilling head comprises a first frame part and a second frame part, the first frame part and the second frame part comprising drilling surfaces formed at end surfaces of the first frame part and the second frame part, the drilling surfaces comprising drilling organs of the first drilling member and the second drilling member, and wherein the sleeve arrangement is arranged in the longitudinal direction between an internal or external counterpart shoulder in connection with the casing shoe and an external or internal counterpart shoulder at an end of the second drilling member.
 24. The drilling device according to claim 23, wherein the an external or internal counterpart shoulder is on an end of the second frame part.
 25. The drilling device according to claim 23, wherein the drilling organs comprise at least one of an integrated drilling part, separate drilling pieces, or bits.
 26. The drilling device according to claim 23, wherein the sleeve arrangement comprises a wear/slide ring comprising an essentially rigid structured material.
 27. The drilling device according to claim 26, wherein the wear/slide ring comprises at least one of metal, plastic, ceramic, or composite material.
 28. The drilling device according to claim 26, wherein wear/slide ring minimizes wear of the counterpart shoulders of the shoulder arrangement.
 29. The drilling device according to claim 23, wherein the sleeve arrangement comprises a flexion/damping ring comprising an essentially flexible structure.
 30. The drilling device according to claim 29, wherein the flexion/damping ring comprises at least one of rubber, plastic, or composite material.
 31. The drilling device according to claim 29, wherein the flexion/damping ring minimizes kinetic energy transmitted through the counterpart shoulders.
 32. The drilling device according to claim 29, wherein the flexion/damping ring minimizes hammering motion transmitted through the counterpart shoulders. 